Marshmallow & Apple Lambs

It started when I saw these lamb cupcakes. I thought they were really cute but I didn't want to bake anything wanted to make them a little healthier. I also wanted to use what I already had.

I started by halving and coring an apple. I also peeled mine since my kids like them that way but you wouldn't have to.

I mixed some softened cream cheese with a little brown sugar and vanilla and spread that on.

We stuck some mini marshmallows in the cream cheese. At this point, Drew wanted to help. Lainey wasn't interested until the chocolate came out a little later.

We used Hershey Kisses for the head and tail, more of the cream cheese mixture and mini chocolate chips for the eyes, a tiny piece of fruit roll-up for the mouth, and apple seeds for the ears.

I admit that mine didn't turn out as cute as the cupcake version. But I didn't have to buy all that candy just to use two pieces and have the rest sit around uneaten. Or worse, eaten.

We have a few different sheep and lamb books to go with this one:Mary and Her Little Lamb tells the story of the real girl behind the song. Mary nurses a little lamb back to health after it is rejected by its mother at birth. She adores the lamb and the lamb adores her. He (say it with me) follows her to school one day. The author describes how Mary tried to hide the lamb beneath her desk, only to have him follow her to the front of the room when she is called to the board. The illustrations in this book are folkart paintings and just amazing. I got this book for Lainey, who loves the song, but it was Drew who was really interested in it. This would also be a great book for older readers.

Little Lamb's Easter Surprise
is an Easter book perfect for preschoolers about a lamb who wishes for a friend. He begins finding colorful Easter eggs and eventually finds the little bunny who has hidden them. It's Little Lamb's turn to hide the eggs for his new friend Little Bunny.

Wool Gathering: A Sheep Family Reunion is a collection of funny rhyming poems about a family of sheep coming together. Each poem describes a member of the family (Sister Alabaster, a Kung-fu master, knows her chops, while Supersheep has steel wool) or an activity from the picnic (baa-dminton or baseball, during which the infield gets eaten.)

You always have the best ideas!!! Thanks so much for sharing--definitely going to try these! If you have a sec to pop over , I had our favorite bakery help me make popcorn cupcakes for my son's Big Top Circus party:Http://mylittlehappies.blogspot.com(you'll see the icon for h's big top party). And marshmallows make everything better!! :)